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tallish thin runner - trying to start thinking about dressing well

distance_runner

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Hey everyone - totally new here - I hope you all can help.

I'm 6'0" 145-150lbs. I've always just bought some t-shirts at JCPenny or Macy's, a pair of jeans when my old ones fall apart, etc. You know that kind of guy. Never thought about trying to actually do something with how I look.

Well, now I'm finishing up in graduate school, and I want to turn this around. Willing to put some time and money into it.

I'm a competitive distance runner. And I'm proud of the kind of body that's given me. But where my friends who go to the gym look good in their fitted shirts (cause they're built on top), I don't get to feel good about all the work I put in to my fitness: you can't really tell, from what I wear. (I mean, most of it's in the thinness and in the legs, I suppose.) I'm not sure if anything can be done about this problem! Do only weightlifting athletes get these benefits?

One last thing: I'm living in Frankfurt this year. I'd like to do my shopping here, or nearby. Maybe that's a reach, but any suggestions in the city would be so helpful. Thanks in advance!



I came across a really useful post from way back in 2006 on this forum: https://www.styleforum.net/threads/need-adivce-completly-clueless.17260/#post-221316. Super helpful advice. But my situation's a bit different: I'm not trying to minimize my tall/thin look, as he might have been, and I'm definitely on a smaller budget. But I'm willing to invest some money in this, anyway.
 

norMD

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It would be useful to know a bit more about your situation and budget.

Do you want a suit wardrobe or just some shirts and other pants than jeans?

That said suitsupply is a good place to start.
 

distance_runner

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Thanks for the response! Well, eventually I'll need some nicer stuff (suits, etc. for interviews and on). But right now I need to work on my everyday. So right: what would you all recommend I look at for some nice but casual shirts and pants?

Sorry, I'm starting out pretty close to zero knowledge here!

Should mention my age: just turned 30, but I look like I'm about 25, I'd say. Got that young-looking face.

And budget, well that's a bit hard because I'm not so sure how much to expect to spend. But if I went out this weekend and spent a couple hundred dollars (well, Euros) on some items, I wouldn't mind, if they were good quality and would help me work on this. I definitely couldn't do that, financially, every weekend, but once every couple of months I could. (I never have done it!, but I can afford that.)
 

norMD

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Hopefully some locals can chime in on local stores. From Google I see you have both a local Boggi and Suitsupply. Both are known to offer good value menswear. I would wait for New year sales and then pick up some shirts (OCBDs) and cotton chinos. Dont buy too much at once i case you dont like your "New style".

In the meantime you could read some blogs like putthison.com or permanentstyle.com they both have posts covering starting/building a new wardrobe and capsule wardrobes. You can ignore the posts covering 6000 euros bespoke suits.
 

Thomson

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Görtz for shoes - large selection of Crockett & Jones, Lobb, Santoni, Dinkelacker, AE
Ludwig Reiter, Austrian shoes
https://www.diehlunddiehl.de/ for upmarket Italian stuff, Edward Green
http://www.mundw-mode.com/ likewise (I buy Caruso MTM there)
https://www.eckerle.de/ large selection (they‘ve got Stephan Brandt T shirts, which are fab)
Peek & Cloppenburg (large, standard fare)
Brooks Brothers
http://www.brauneis.net/ (menswear upstairs)
shirts:
https://www.dasmasshemd.de/ (my tailor for shirts, not mtm)
a Stone Island shop is going to open soon, loads of brand shops for tourists, eg Armani, Loro Piana etc
https://www.molani.com/ for Italian accessories
Hahner an der Oper, prob the last remaining traditional menswear shop, all others have closed
http://www.h-hardy.de/ (nice owner, who won’t sell stuf that doesn’t fit, casual wear)
https://www.43einhalb.com/ (sneakers)
Loads of places for MTM suits.
Redwing shoes
Freitag bags


Some of these places may not be your style or your budget but it is what I can think of off the top of my head.

Frankfurt isn’t Berlin in terms of the coolness factor or Vienna for classic menswear but it is alright.

And I prob don‘t know any shops that cool people go to.

Oh, and for running gear: https://laufshop-leder.de/de/ (owned by Lothar Leder, trip champ) and larger https://frankfurter-laufshop.de/
 

Thomson

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Sorry, I should really say that I got carried away and some of these places are actually quite expensive. So they might only make sense if you know that you are happy spending this kind of money on clothes.

Eckerle is a good starting point for someone who wants quality clothes and most of the streetware places are ok price wise.

And once you are done shopping, grab a coffee at Bunca :)
 

distance_runner

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Wow! Thanks so much for the advice - especially where Frankfurt in particular is concerned.

Thomson: I'll check out some of those shops and see what I can find. It's really helpful to know where to go; then I can just figure out what I want to get there. Especially if they want to put me in something good, which you say - in particular - some of these places do.

norMD: ocbds and cotton chinos sound like the kind of thing I need. Obviously I have some button down shirts already, but they're not so nice - and I've had them forever.


Another general and pretty naive question: should I just expect to get what I pay for? Let's say I visit two of your recommended places, and I like both of them: they seem to care about finding me something good, and they seem to have the kind of clothes I can see myself wearing. Shirts at one will cost me $50-$60; shirts at the other run $80-$100 (just guesses). My instinct is always to buy the cheaper one, but is there almost always going to be a good reason (quality, fit, service?) that the more expensive ones are more expensive?

I guess what I'm asking is: should I expect to be able to look better if I can pay more? (Hmm, not sure if this question makes sense.)

Thanks again!
 

dieworkwear

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When you're first starting out, I think it's good to buy things that will allow you to naturally develop your taste over time. At some point, you may find you like a very rugged look with deck jackets and service boots. Or you may find you like something dressier and tailored. Or you may find you like prep, dark avant garde stuff, or whatever else.

I would start with a basic pair of raw denim jeans, grey wool flannel trousers, some plaid flannel and oxford cloth shirts, some good sneakers, possibly a pair of chukka boots, and then a reasonably classic piece of outerwear, such as Barbour, a tweed topcoat, a brown leather cafe racer, or a basic sport coat such as something in navy wool or brown tweed. Again, the idea is to not commit to anything too heavily. Most of these things are items you can wear even if your taste takes some unexpected turns.

Also shop in the mid-tier -- stuff that's good enough to give you a sense of how to spot quality and fit, but won't be ruinous if you change your taste over time.

If you don't already wear suits, resist the urge to conflate dressing well with overdressing. I think sometimes when guys get into this stuff, they buy a ton of tailored clothing even though it doesn't work for their lifestyle. That said, most guys can find use for a navy sport coat.

The blogs Menswear Musings and From Squalor to Baller are also worth checking out. Their clothes can be somewhat basic in terms of style, but for guys in their 30s, its a good starting place. It doesn't have to be the style you end up with -- and if you do end up with that alone, there's also nothing wrong with it. But it's a somewhat common language that most people will find appealing.


 

norMD

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Wow! Thanks so much for the advice - especially where Frankfurt in particular is concerned.

Thomson: I'll check out some of those shops and see what I can find. It's really helpful to know where to go; then I can just figure out what I want to get there. Especially if they want to put me in something good, which you say - in particular - some of these places do.

norMD: ocbds and cotton chinos sound like the kind of thing I need. Obviously I have some button down shirts already, but they're not so nice - and I've had them forever.


Another general and pretty naive question: should I just expect to get what I pay for? Let's say I visit two of your recommended places, and I like both of them: they seem to care about finding me something good, and they seem to have the kind of clothes I can see myself wearing. Shirts at one will cost me $50-$60; shirts at the other run $80-$100 (just guesses). My instinct is always to buy the cheaper one, but is there almost always going to be a good reason (quality, fit, service?) that the more expensive ones are more expensive?

I guess what I'm asking is: should I expect to be able to look better if I can pay more? (Hmm, not sure if this question makes sense.)

Thanks again!

I understand your question. And its is hard to judge quality of clothing in-store.

The general advice is to focus primarily on fit. And if you are very thin maybe be prepared to spend som money on alterations, such as adding darts to shirts. Hopefully the sales reps can answer questions regarding quality and if you have to factor in shrinkage. And you can think through what you want. E.g. non-iron vs "normal" shirts. OCBS with collar roll or more modern small collars, fused vs non-fused collars. with or without chest pocket. Will you wear your shirts tucked or untucked and how long should they be.
Raw denim or treated denim. Chinos in 100 % cotton or with some synthetics for comfort/elasticity. High, mid or low rise pants. Straight, tapered or slim/skinny pants. Shoes with welted soles vs glued.

Uniqlo also has some nice casual wear, but they dont have a store in Frakfurt. There is an uniqlo thread in SW&D forum.
 

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